


No Hardship

by helsinkibaby



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 07:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nate's been there for Kensi... Now she's there for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Hardship

**Author's Note:**

> For the "father's day" square on my love bingo card.

It's a surprise for Kensi when she wakes up to find an empty space where Nate should be - even in a relatively short space of time, she's become used to waking up with him at her side, with him pulling her close to place a kiss to her lips, her shoulder, her back, wherever he can happen to reach at the time. Reaching out, she runs her palm along the sheet, frowns at the absence of body heat she finds there. 

Then she remembers that it's Sunday, and which Sunday it is, and it's not such a surprise anymore. 

Standing, she finds a pair of pyjama pants and tank top on the floor, pulls them on. Running her fingers through her hair she makes her way towards the living room where, sure enough, there is Nate. He's sitting on her couch, legs stretched in front of him, staring into the cup of coffee he's holding. He's got that look on his face that he gets when he's deep in thought - eyes far away, brow furrowed, lips pursed - and she has to come right up to him before he realises that she's there. "Hey," he says, voice quiet and his cheeks darken when he looks up at her. "I couldn't sleep... didn't want to wake you."

Kensi drops down onto the couch beside him, pulls her legs up underneath her. "You want to talk about it?" she asks. The role reversal isn't lost on her, nor on him if the smile he gives her is anything to go by. When he doesn't say anything though, she thinks it's time to give him a nudge. "Is it what I think it is?"

Nate sighs and nods. "I would always call him," he says softly. "Every week. Not if I was undercover, obviously. But the second I could..." He shakes his head. "And today... it would have been the first thing I did. When I woke up, I actually..." His voice chokes and she knows what he's going to say, wants to plead with him not to, but he recovers and keeps talking and it rips her heart out just the way that she thought it would. "I reached for the phone." He stretches out his hand in illustration, his jaw clenching. "Then I remembered."

Swallowing hard, Kensi bites her lip. reaches out and lays her hand on his shoulder. Squeezing gently, she can think of nothing to say so she just sits, waits for him to turn his head, to look at her again. She'd been expecting this, remembered it all too well from the first Father's Day after her own father's death. That feeling of waking up, knowing that there's something that you would usually do, something you'll never get a chance to do again - for her, it was like losing her dad all over again, and it looks like for Nate, the feeling was the same. 

It takes a long time but Nate finally looks at her, gives her a pale smile. "Thank you for the lack of platitudes," he says and she shrugs. 

"I don't need platitudes," she tells him, reaching down behind the couch. "I got you a present."

She pulls out a brightly wrapped box and hands it to him as he frowns, tilts his head quizzically. "You got me a present," he says. "On Father's Day?" 

There's a twinkle in his eye suddenly and she grins, shakes her head with a chuckle. "Don't get your hopes up," she tells him and he just smiles, touching the back of her hand as he takes the box from her. He has to know that the fact he can ask her that and not have her run away screaming says a lot about how much she trusts him, about the type of future she's planning with him. 

"So, a present," he begins as he tears the wrapping paper. He stops talking, however, when the torn paper reveals one word. His hands freeze and his jaw works very hard to get the words out. "You got me a Lego set?" He's looking at her with suspiciously glassy eyes and Kensi is suddenly hoping that she didn't misjudge the situation. 

"You told me once that your dad didn't teach you about engines," she says. "That he was more of a Lego guy." She covers his hand with hers. "I know you miss him... I thought we could spend the day together... with this... and we could share some memories."

Nate stares into her eyes and nods. His voice is hoarse when he whispers, "I'd like that," before he pulls her into a hug. "Thank you."

She doesn't say anything in response; she doesn't have to. Nate's been there for her enough times - returning the favour is no hardship at all. 


End file.
